The key to the customer experience is supporting your employees and sharing your vision.

It was every spa’s nightmare: a client suffering a medical emergency. As bad as the experience was for the customer felled by a seizure, it was certainly no picnic for the staff caught in a haze of frenzied interactions between paramedics and the client’s family.

I don’t mean to diminish the harm caused by any physical impairment. But I do want to point out that in this case there were other victims: therapists, a spa director, and various other staff who might be haunted for weeks afterward by PTSD from the incident. Who was looking out for them?

Keeping spa staff emotionally geared to do their jobs is a significant challenge, but essential to the successful management of a spa. Remember, it’s not commodities or mass production we’re dealing with here, it’s people – constantly, directly, intimately. If you think all you need to do to make money in the spa business is to round up a few pedigreed therapists and some high-tech equipment, give your head a shake. Unless you genuinely care about not only your clients’ welfare but the welfare of every one of your staff, from receptionist to manager, you will be sorely disappointed – and probably looking for a new line of work.

It’s useful for the purposes of this discussion to see your business from the customer’s perspective. I generally break it down into a journey and an outcome.

The customer journey

Think of the journey as pearls on a necklace – the touchstones of customer interaction. A customer interested in booking a treatment, for example, may Google ‘spa,’ surf a few websites, then phone your front desk to ask a few questions. After a confirmation call or e-mail if everything looks good, they arrive at your location for their treatment.

The outcome

Like the silk thread that strings the pearls of the journey together, the outcome (aka customer experience) is the culmination of the customer’s feelings, attitudes and impressions – conscious and unconscious – formed during the journey. It usually defines the customer’s deep-seated feelings about you, whether they are positive, negative or somewhere in between.

As you can see, the journey and outcome are the prime determinant of whether your customers will repeat their visit. A customer benefitting from the hands-on delivery of a relaxation massage, for example, might have a thoroughly positive experience until he or she proceeds to checkout and is forced to wait for the receptionist chit-chatting on her cell phone. The outcome (experience) is the culmination of several interactions, and in a case like this would be mixed.

By far the most important factor governing the quality of the outcome is employee engagement. A disengaged employee – someone who is unmotivated to connect with a customer – can permanently terminate a customer’s desire to connect to your business. An ill-timed distraction, lacklustre delivery of a treatment, careless remark or even unconscious communication (body language, gestures, attention level) can reveal less than total engagement. Customers can easily pick up on such signs.

In a word, employees need to care. And to care, they must feel cared for – fully enthusiastic about and absorbed by their work. An engaged employee is totally focussed on creating a positive experience for the client, and in addition has a positive attitude towards the organization and its values. Organizations with high employee engagement always outperform those with lower levels of engagement.

I hear over and over again from employees how much they long to be part of a genuine spa team – an organization that sincerely cares about them as human beings rather than as mere resources to deliver treatments. Going back to my example of a medical emergency, good senior leadership would recognize that such incidents can traumatize everyone involved, and freely affirm and support any employees forced to deal with such events.

Perhaps more than in other businesses, employees in the spa industry have an innate altruistic desire to add value to the lives of people they interact with. They need to be affirmed: heard, respected and feel like a vital part of the customer journey and experience.

Note that it’s a two-way street. For an employee to feel engaged, he or she must understand, feel aligned with and support the organisation’s vision. This requires a clear understanding of how the spa is fulfilling its purpose and objectives, and their role in a dynamic system evolving into the beneficial habituation of the fortifying effects of the spa experience forming new neural networks for the client.

Employees who feel heard when they offer suggestions for improvements and innovations gain positive effects to their well-being. Even suggestions that don’t get accepted can have a positive outcome as long as they are at least considered and the reasons for their rejection explained. Employees want to know their leaders will provide them with regular and constructive feedback to chart and support their professional development and learn new skills. Being sincerely thanked for a job well done is also important to the development of the employee’s self esteem.

In my experience, engaged organizations tap into their customers with strong, authentic values. They operate from a position of mutual respect, trust and fairness, where both employees and employers fulfill their commitments and promises to each other.

After all, who doesn’t want to be proud of the organization they work with? Engaged employees are the best evangelists of any organization, and will go the extra mile knowing their efforts make a difference and are appreciated.

Consulting firm McKinsey & Company does a lot of work with employee engagement, and in its May 2017 report on customer-centric organizations notes: “At leading customer-centric companies, such as Disney, creating great customer experiences begins with a common vision and requires an engaged and energized workforce that can translate individual experiences into satisfying end-to-end customer journeys… To change mind-sets and behaviour and to ensure that the whole organization works to give internal customers an outstanding experience, the company must develop and implement purpose-driven change-management principles defining a new way to work.”

In a survey of more than 10,000 employees in a number of customer-centric organizations, McKinsey hit the nail on the head by revealing the workers’ top gripe: the lack of availability and clarity of information.

“The more advanced a company is in its customer-centric thinking, the more likely it is that the determinants of employee satisfaction will evolve from basic courtesy by the staff to the availability and timely delivery of information,” McKinsey says.
In other words, employees need to buy into and share your vision. Why not start a conversation on that very topic today? You might be amazed by where it leads.

More from Vivienne

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For example, during a private coaching call recently, a client was expressing frustration with the fact that she had to train yet another new employee, and it takes a lot of her time.  I asked her if she has a training manual for that position.  The answer was no. This is a new client to us, but she is not new to her business.  As a matter of fact, she has been in business for nine years.  After nine years, she still does not have departmental manuals. She is working too hard.  What plan did we come up with to help free her from the repetitive tasks that took up days for her to complete?  Are you in the same situation? If so, I encourage you to keep reading and implement the following business model.  This will set you free, and it will also help you prepare your business to be sold in the future for a much higher price.

6 Steps to Creating an Effective Business Model

1. Establishing structure

2. Defining your spa departments and identifying your department leads

3. Manuals needed

4. Systems and operational guidelines by department

5. Training needed – Technical & business

6. Measurement – Evaluation and continuous improvement

1 Establishing Structure

Establishing structure gives the entire team clarity as to how your organization operates.  Without it, you have chaos.

Every business has four main departments:

I. Operation

II. Sales

III. Marketing

IV. Finance

It’s best to have department manuals for each division of your company.  Establish chains of command in order for your team to know who to go to with issues, training, coaching, and help. Who will train them, evaluate them, mentor them, etc.?

Publish an Organizational Structure.

2. Defining Your Departments and Identifying Your Department Leads

Including department leads within your organization structure is extremely important and helpful to the leadership of the spa/medi spa. Department leads should:

Plan for success

Train the team

Motivate the team

Implement strategies, systems, policies, etc.

Help maintain a great positive attitude within the spa

In addition, each department must have position descriptions, evaluation methods, goals, and expectations.

3. Manuals Needed

For any business to succeed, it must have operational manuals by department.

For a spa or a medi spa, you must have the following manuals:

I. Orientation Manual

II. Employee Manual

III. Therapist Manual

IV. Reception Department Manual

V. Call Center Manual

VI. Support Team Manual

VII. Injector Manual

VIII. Sales Manual

IX. Consultation Manual

X. Video and Audio                   Training Library

XI. Management Manual

Having these manuals will prove crucial when it’s time to sell your business.  You will be able to receive a much higher valuation of the business.

4. Systems and Operational Guidelines by Department

The manuals should include training information to perform each position.  For example, a therapist’s manual should have a manual for technical knowledge explaining protocols, product knowledge, rituals, guest experience, etc.  Also, it must have a business section to teach the team how to recommend upgrades and home-care products, expectations, goals, and evaluation methods.

Each business process should have a system.  By having systems, your team and management team will have the ability to perform their positions with clarity.  Systems allow you to have consistency, accuracy, and growth.

All systems should be in writing in the manuals.  This will provide you and the department leads the training tools to use with new hires.  But most importantly, it helps prepare your business for an exit strategy.  When someone looks at your business to purchase it – having manuals and a business model in writing will be much more appealing. In fact, it could be the deciding factor on whether you will be able to sell your business or not. 

5. Training needed –

Technical & Business

Most spas focus on technical training when hiring a new employee.  Of course, technical training is a must but so is business training.  When you hire a new person, they need to go through orientation, technical training, and business training.  This will take some time, but it will be worth it in the long run. 

What business training should your team undergo? They must learn how to increase revenue per guest, retail sales, cross marketing, self marketing, asking for referrals, gaining reviews, selling memberships, gift cards, promotions, and more.  When you focus on business training, you will position your team for success!

6. Measurement – Evaluation and Continuous Improvement

Yes, manuals and systems are important to have, but make sure you are continually updating and improving your model.  When you measure performance, notice what is working and what is not so you can fine-tune and keep improving.  Be on the lookout for new treatments, new products, new rituals…ways to improve your guest experience.  Or, see how you can improve your hiring process, management process, accounting, sales, and marketing efforts.  You need to always be monitoring and innovating techniques to improve all your systems and update your manuals.

Implement these six steps to prepare your business for elevated success, as well as for your exit strategy!

Written by Dori Soukup

Need help?  Reach out to [email protected] and gain access to a business model.  We offer 9 spa business manuals in Word documents.  Begin customizing now!

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Why should we go poor trying to do everything, when we might easily become rich doing one?

With the spa market becoming more and more saturated, the standard methodologies behind doing business within the industry are rapidly changing. A decade ago, it was sufficient to offer the standard fare of facials and massage with a theme and an appealing facility. This is no longer the case.

Today there is a spa on every block. Unfortunately, the competition is tugging at the purse strings of many spa owners. While it is typical in a capitalistic society for competition to force the weaker players out, the redundancy of spa facilities makes it difficult for the consumer to choose a spa and loyally stick with it. A price war typically ensues, and in a service-based business, no one wins at this game. The solution is to forge a new path.

Do what you do best. Instead of offering a War and Peace styled menu, why not only offer those services for which you are known? Instead of the “all under one roof” approach, why not whittle your services down to the heart and soul of your spa?

For instance, I taught a spa management class for a spa in Los Angeles that only does one service. They only did one type of facial. They only sold six products. Yet, their profit margins were well above average. Their estheticians were booked weeks in advance. Their retention figures were unheard of. The simplicity of their offerings paid off through consistency, expertise at a single service and sell-through. Clients came either on a weekly or monthly basis and they routinely purchased home care. Their formula for success was lean but complete.

It is a similar story for a waxing parlor in New York City. In this day of laser hair removal, who knew that a facility only offering waxing would be so sought after. Additionally, they were booked solid with a pre-booking success rate of 92 percent.

Identify your target market. By segmenting your target market, you can truly begin to break down your general clientele into subgroups who share specific interests. Given this you can target specific needs within the smaller populations (i.e. career women vs. stay at home moms, men vs. women, teens vs. baby boomers). These groups have specific needs and crave particular services, home care and overall experiences.

Setting aside an evening for gentlemen only, for instance, allows you to cater exclusively to one sub-group of clients. Likewise, offering a fashion forward career enhancement night in the form of an educational soiree will accommodate busy working women. Moreover, by grouping clients in this fashion you set the stage for bonding amongst your current clientele and encourages happy clients to bring along their friends for ideal referral opportunities.

Get mobile. If you have a successful spa, expand your reach. Creating a mobile presence is easy and flexible. With a van or a small trailer, your spa can attend weddings, parties, events, corporate celebrations and more. Further, it is a great way to get the word out. The ability to generate publicity with a mobile unit is tremendous. Overhead is relatively low and the outlay of materials and equipment can be quite sparse. The real trick is being on location and creating the appropriate mood.

Host parties. One of the best ways to supplement the daily earnings of your spa is to allot for parties and gatherings during non-peak hours and times when the spa is ordinarily closed. Corporate parties, princess parties, bridal parties and simple family get-togethers can generate income during those times. By moving a bit of retail and setting up rooms for multiple users, a large number of people can typically be accommodated.

For those on a budget, consider setting up a “do it yourself” bar of facial and body products. Similar to a buffet, clients can then do their own masking, body wrapping and buffing under the guidance of a staff member. This approach can be a lot of fun for the participants while they cut costs dramatically given the tremendous reduction in staffing requirements. Catering the event is a part of the fun. Building sampler kits for at home use should be a part of the event’s pricing. Furthermore, inviting participants back through incentive options like gift with service purchase is a great way to build your spa’s long-term client base.

Breaking your spa’s services and goals into specific groupings or opting to only service particular spa needs are further ways to define your presence in a saturated marketplace. Sit down with your menu and your financials and explore where your facility offers the most potential for current and future earnings. Fine-tuning your vision and offerings can truly be worth your time and attention.

www.thespaassociation.com

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The spa industry is a multibillion dollar industry yet the stats on business failure within the first 5 years of operation are staggering. It makes us wonder why and how? It’s blatantly obvious that there’s a serious problem we’re not solving. Too many are coming into the market expecting to be an overnight success without the hustle and getting frustrated. We have students who are graduating barely getting their feet wet expecting to be reaping the benefits of success of the veteran who’s been up & running for 35 years plus which took a lot of leg work that you can’t turn a blind eye to . There are spa’s in the heart of tourism, main city attractions with constant traffic that are completely rocking it, yet one’s next door are starving for clients? Small esthetic clinics with no marketing support nor on social media yet they’re booked solid from start to finish through basic word of mouth from their clients. So how can this be? Is it a lack of resources? We live in a time where one would have given up their life fortune to have access to the information we have today. It’s never a lack of resources it’s always a lack of resourcefulness. It’s the lack of resourcefulness amongst everyone involved from owner, to managers, to estheticians &receptionists.

We need to start getting comfortable with humility, asking for help & learn from each other. The wet spas are doing great on their water circuits but dying on their esthetic services such as facials. Medi spas are doing great on facials yet lack that human approach. Why not learn from each other. Start creating seminars so those who are experts in one area can share their knowledge, help the ones who are weak in that area and vice versa.  Creating a community that collaborates instead of competing building ourselves up again.

After having consulted over 200 spas, medi spas & esthetic clinics in Montreal. I’ve been both trusted & privileged enough to work with the top in the industry. From pioneers to veterans to teachers the creams of the crop definitely have key secret ingredients which inevitably constantly show up. I would say if you’ve been in business for at least 10 years & you’re still rolling you have the secret recipe. If you have clients who’ve been loyal to you for over 10 years & your business is still growing you’re doing something right. I was on a mission to discover what the key ingredients are & now I want to share this valuable information for the sake of saving the spa industry from hitting a recession. 

Having the top skin line, or the best technology or latest treatments or hottest location really isn’t the answer.  Energy is the top one…the entire team creates an energy that makes clients feel an experience like no other. From reception, to esthetician, to management or owner each team member is dedicated to treat their clients with an incredible amount of integrity, dignity & respect regardless of the “kinda” day their having. They choose to give the best energy they can & their clients FEEL it. People feel your energy especially your clients. In our industry we are expected to help bring forth an experience that allows our clients to disconnect.  It’s imperative to be highly attuned to the energy you give off & more so when you’re business involves serving others. You cannot allow to have people on your team who are self-absorbed regardless of how much experience they have or technique that’s on point because i promise you , you’re clients will feel it & business suffers as a result. Experience is worth nothing if they give off the wrong energy. Be very aware!! A total game changer in life and essential in determining business success.

Next would be company culture. As a spa owner identify first & for most what’s your identity, your philosophy make it your own, make it unique and grow from there.  Be very clear in all the interviews you conduct that these are your core values & the right employees will show up. You won’t need to police your staff as I’ve witnessed you will have trust . in fact the top spa’s do just that they have full trust in their staff because their hiring process is thorough. They value their employees; they are generous in dispensing salaries for quality and guess what happens? in turn the employees deliver more which inevitably services their clients to their fullest potential. Isn’t that what you would want? To be able to have full trust and know that your business can almost run on its own. Richard Branson says “There’s no magic formula for great company culture. The key is just to treat your staff how you would like to be treated”. The guru of business world leading expert Tony Robbins say “if we’re going to build a business, we not only need raving fans we need a raving culture. Culture meaning everybody on your team works to create raving fan experiences. You’ve got to create raving fans if you want to be successful. “Showing them value so they can give more to your clients. Managers pay close attention to placing employees in the heart of their passion. They will deliver more.

This goes for receptionists too some estheticians love technology based treatments while others hate it. Some estheticians love pedicures and manicures while others hate it book clients as skillfully as a matcher maker would. Get to know everyone on staff and make it a point to connect.  Your goal is not to squeeze bookings wherever you can your estheticians will feel burnt out. Think outside the box when it comes to accommodating clients I’ve witnessed receptionist book, pre sell & complete transaction in 1 phone call regardless of the line up in front of her &she’s acknowledged everyone in that line up as soon as they walked through the door. She’s able to be as engaging on a phone call as she would in person. Think Quality versus quantity. It’s about working smart quality versus quantity Booking accordingly will assure you you’ve done what you can to ensure this client returns. You are the first impression giving off what the spa is all about. you guys are the captain of the ship  without you the ship can sink! SMILE look at people when they walk in & be warm don’t be staring at someone from head to toe this is a complete lack of professionalism.  Be responsible for the energy you bring to your team & especially your clients. Showing Recognition to each client is a must!! . Everyone’s objective should be to engage customer loyalty.  Estheticians your clients turn to you for healing and to be a healer you must acquire empathy. Truly be able to read your client without her having to say much give her more than expected. If you communicate skillfully with your intention to pamper them &make them feel better about themselves you have the power to transform your clients! Stays informed & keep learning! Together, build a solid foundation from the ground up amongst your team along with the community. Conduct efficient team meetings, Do a thorough pulse check. Be very honest with what the reality of your business is? Be bold enough to be strip it down to the nitty gritty admit what’s lacking &reach out for help. Raise your standards in goal setting but be flexible in your approach to finding the right strategy until you find one that works. If we remember why we are so passionate about this spa world, consciously be aware of our intention every day in every way we will bring back heart rhythm louder, stronger than ever and resuscitate the industry!!

The post Finding the Heart Rhythm in a Flat Lining Industry appeared first on Spa Canada.

The good news is that U.S. spa visits surpassed 180 million for the first-time last year, an annual increase of 2.5 per cent. Income also set a new record of $16.8 billion, up 3.1 per cent, with the total number of spa businesses up 1.1 per cent.

The bad news? If sinking morale and staff shortages aren’t addressed quickly, we’re headed the other way.

Just look at the nature of our business. With their larger disposable incomes, today’s consumers are motivated by the participative consciousness of experiencing our treatments, therapies and assuring professional ambiance. It’s personal experience as opposed to personal service, as well as a desire for authenticity, that lures consumers to modern spas.

Compare the nature of spa services to, say, a fine dining experience, and you’ll see that the degrees of personalization and trust involved are on entirely different levels. In one case, it’s mainly about tucking into a good steak or risotto in a pleasant atmosphere. The outcome of a spa visit is more complex, relying on the interaction between the spa team and environment and the individual’s state of being. Satisfying spa customers’ longing for connection with themselves and others (as well as stress relief) calls for an authentic experience delivered by highly engaged professionals. The satisfaction, trust and feeling of renewal that ensues from a great spa experience can also generate rich rewards for the business – in the form of heightened team morale and repeat visits.

Operate from Purpose, Not Fear

The buzzword in marketing today is authenticity. The informed wellness consumer of the future will be able to smell an out of integrity spa a mile away, and turn elsewhere for treatments. Mentally healthy leaders and team members practising in a culture of therapeutic congruency will be a basic requirement.

Customers want genuine interactions with genuine brands and genuine people. In the spa business, the roots of authenticity need to be cultivated into an invisible network beneath the surface, respecting and honouring all stakeholders.

Authenticity springs from a common purpose to serve a higher good – such as creating a clean, conscious space to promote the well-being of every spa customer. When all stakeholders share an earnest commitment to delivering a truly restorative rejuvenating experience, authenticity flourishes.

You can’t be partly authentic any more than you can be partly pregnant. An authentic experience is founded on three essential pillars: intent, commitment and follow-through. Today’s (and tomorrow’s) consumers instinctively know when a facility isn’t authentic. Is your business truly authentic? Answering that question – and maybe filling in the blanks of whatever is missing – can be as simple as holding a team meeting. When you gather, consider choosing refreshments that nourish your spa’s concept and the team.

I’ve seen the power of an authentic, congruent wellness spa concept to attract the best of the best. Great people want to be a part of a great organization. The desire to operate from purpose rather than fear awakened with boomers, and is particularly embedded in millennials. In this regard, society is on the brink of a major shift.

Caring for the carers within your organization begins with you. As Mr. Shakespeare said in Hamlet, “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” Delivering authenticity begins with the self. You need to be filled up yourself before you can give to another.

Listen and hear the requests of your service providers. Cultivate a structure in which their needs (including breaks) can be met. According to Harvard Business Review, raising employee happiness raises productivity by 7 to 10 per cent. Others (including Forbes contributor Martin Zwilling) say high levels of happiness can increase sales by as much as 37 per cent, and productivity by 31 per cent. Isn’t that a competitive advantage worth pursuing?

Service providers engaged with their guests are not always engaged with their leadership teams. And less-engaged employees can have a deleterious effect on authentic delivery of a wellness experience, leading to a toxic cloud of apathy (or worse) hanging over the spa.

In 25 years of setting up successful spas, I’ve also seen how inadequate staff support can scuttle happiness and exacerbate burnout, or even cause individuals to abandon their wellness careers altogether.

Today’s customers easily pick up on negative moods of therapists lacking adequate support. Many caregivers in our industry spend so much time and energy learning to care for others, they never learn to care for themselves. By the same token, lack of consideration for staff results in burnout, disillusionment, resentment, anger, martyrdom or a victim mentality – eroding the mental, spiritual and physical well-being of the individual while also negatively affecting guests.

Isn’t that ironic? While the general population is finally grasping the benefits of spas as an antidote to the stress and anxieties of our 24/7 social media culture, we’re unable to look after our own. Physician, heal thyself.

I predict that without better support of our staff, our industry will face a serious shortage of experienced, engaged, happy personnel in the very near future.

The future of the wellness business belongs to those organizations whose leaders have a deep understanding of the transformative power of congruent wellness principles for all stakeholders as a basis for delivering truly meaningful and therapeutic experiences. Those not on board already need a paradigm shift in philosophy – from the top down.

Vivienne O’Keeffe,

AAD, PEA, CIBTAC, of Spa Profits Consulting Inc. specializes in turning wellness concepts into new spa developments and turnaround projects, and excels at creating authentic guest experiences within a sustainable, successful framework of quality operations.

Learn more from Vivienne at spaprofits.com

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If you’re looking for a magic wand, there isn’t any.

“It’s a combination of vision, purpose, a good leadership culture, differentiation of your product, and a strong financial structure that supports where you need to go,” Lisa M. Starr, an international spa consultant, told a group of spa owners/managers at a special seminar at Continental Cosmetics.

And, above all else, enough money to see you through your first year.

How much?

At least eight-to-12 months of operating capital, depending on the size and scope of your spa. In dollars, that translates into $500,000 to $600,000 – and that’s after you’ve built your spa, she adds. “You need that much to fund your day-to-day operations for cash flow. If you do it well, it could fund itself in the eighth or ninth month.”

Capital requirements for smaller spas would, of course, be less.

Lisa lists cash flow – “and the lack thereof” – as one of the biggest challenges spa owners face today.

Second on her list is staff. “You hear a lot of people in the industry say they don’t have enough staff. No one seems to want to work anymore…I haven’t found one thing that works unfailingly.”

How to deal with this?

You need to maintain a culture that attracts people, to be clear, fair and create an environment that gives everyone an opportunity to earn more, without crippling your business. “You have to make it fun, and an opportunity to learn.”

In her experience, spa staffs want to learn, to feel they’re doing the right thing. “And the more training, the better.”

Building a great team is paramount. It requires a combination of skills but it can be done. “It requires someone who really cares about people, has a vision and is able to articulate that vision to everyone in the spa, and be willing to go on that journey with their staff. It evolves together.”

As a leader, you have to wear a lot of hats. You have to be a consumer advocate one day, a scape goat, a janitor or a quality champion on the next, and a teacher, student, a recruiter, a diplomat, a referee and a cheerleader and even a fall guy at times. “It’s all that and more.”

“Leadership means getting people to want to do what needs to be done. It’s communication at its core. It’s creating an environment for performance as well as fulfillment and growth. Above all, it’s treating people the way they want to be treated. Leadership is an art, not a science.”

Keep in mind that you can’t do everything yourself, says Lisa. You can’t be in touch with every client but your staff can be. They are the ones who touch your clients, and their feedback is important.

“You may hear from your staff that your clients are complaining because you’re not offering this or that treatment or lack a certain amenity. Instead of brushing their comments off, tell them let’s fix that and do something about it. Together, we make a stronger team.

“Clients are attracted to a calm, professional atmosphere when it comes to personal care services.”

Above all, she adds, reward staff behaviours that drive growth, not necessarily longevity and seniority. Build loyalty by helping them develop their skills by offering an annual education incentive, holding education events for each department as well as life skills training, sales and communications, and a compensation plan that promotes career growth.

A strong, dedicated team can make all the difference in ensuring that very client’s experience is a good one, that your clients enjoy coming in, and that their experience feels enjoyable, not transactional. ”Your clients don’t want to feel they’ve just bought something from a stationary store. It needs to be fun and enjoyable. We need to build a sense of community.”

It all begins with choosing the right people for your team.

“Don’t be in a hurry. Do it right,” says Lisa. “Job turnover is costly, not just in the disruption it causes in your spa but in the loss of trainer wages and the trainee’s wages and recruiting costs but also in customer dissatisfaction. Market your business as an employer of choice.”

For Lisa, it’s a four-step process that starts with a telephone interview, followed by an initial interview and a second at the spa before a practical audition, followed by reference checks and support documentation.

She is a great believer in protocols and manuals, starting with a department manual that outlines the dress code for each department, detailed service protocols, product knowledge from vendors and inventory guidelines. Training protocols should include the training for each department, customer service, communication sales skills as well as a training grid for each department. Your service protocols, she adds, should outline an over-all description of service, ideal target for service, supply and product check list and home care recommendations.

And above all, retail. It’s more important than just the income it provides. It also connects clients to your spa, she notes.

Despite that, it remains an under-used opportunity for many spas, essentially because many therapists feel uncomfortable pushing products. “Today’s therapists are relationship driven, not money driven. A 10% commission does not outweigh the feeling they have about not wanting to offend or overreach.”

That said, many therapists may never feel really comfortable doing it. Something, says Lisa, you may want to think about when your interview prospective therapists.

But what is often overlooked, it’s also important for clients. Your therapist may work very hard to make a client’s skin look great only to have that client go home and use whatever they’ve been using all along.

“How can they maintain the results they achieved at your spa doing that. They’re not. The result: They feel they wasted their money at the spa and that their skin doesn’t look any better. It’s not selling so much as sending every client home with the tools to help them maintain what they’ve just invested in. Your therapists need to understand that as well.

“It goes back to providing a script to make it easier for your therapists to do that. Something like: What would you like to take home with you today?”

Whenever possible, she advises the therapist begin and end the client’s treatment journey in your retail centre.

Worth Noting: Clients who purchase retail products are 78% more likely to return to your spa.

During her visit to Toronto, she visited a mall that was crowded with young families with their children. “They needed some place to go to and be with people.” It occurred to her that we’ve made spas exclusive and separate. But what she saw made her think it may just the opposite.

“We need to think a lot more about the community aspect of our business and how we can make our spas more social.”

It’s in keeping with the fact that spa goers today are more socially responsible and expect businesses they patronize, including spas, to be more sustainable in their business practices. “They want to know that you’re doing something good and giving back.”

It’s important today, especially among millennials, that they see that your business has a social mind.

Successful spas know they need to have a unique services proposition today. The operative word is “unique” – what makes you and your spa stand out. It could be your spa’s rigorous training program, or that you focus on results, or that you offer a unique spa treatment or experience, or that you offer special treatments at lunch hour. Whatever it is, it should make you stand out.

That’s where your branding comes in. It’s what sets you apart in a single word or sentence – something that stays in the heads of your clients whenever they think about your spa.

Lastly, should you have a brochure? A few spas have done away with them. But you still need something to hand out. Your website may be great but something printed stays with them longer and it’s something they can show others.

The post Secrets of Successful Spas appeared first on Spa Canada.

A key aspect of profitability is getting the maximum revenue for the time a guest spends in the spa.

How can you increase that revenue for the same amount of time? There are several ways it can be done, and everyone will benefit—the guest, the service provider, and all other team members as well.

Time to Offer Upgrades

Before arrival, a guest has typically decided on a specific treatment. When a consultation is done by a knowledgeable team member, it is often apparent that the result the guest wants to achieve requires an upgraded treatment. Explain the benefits of that upgrade, and hopefully the guest will understand the added benefit and agree to the service.  When a guest is pleased with the result, they will likely request the upgraded treatment for future visits.

Sometimes an upgrade does require additional time—such as when a Salon guest upgrades from a cut to a cut & colour. Although it involves more time, it increases productivity all around.

As a result of an upgrade, the guest will feel that they have been given the best option for them. The service provider will earn more for that treatment, and the spa will add to its bottom line. When a spa is more profitable, it is able to invest more back into the business and the people who work there. Everybody wins. Every time.

Time to Offer Add-Ons

Add-on services can usually be done at the same as the treatment that was initially booked. Adding, for example, an eye treatment, a lip treatment, or a collagen mask is a way for more revenue to be earned in the same amount of time. Not only does the guest get more benefit from the time spent in your spa, they will leave looking and feeling their best, feel more loyalty to the spa, and have greater appreciation for the talents and skills of the team.

Once again, more is earned by the service provider and the spa generates more profit.

If a reception team member has good knowledge of the services and treatments offered, they may be able to sell an upgrade or add-on when the appointment is scheduled by phone, or when the guest arrives. Offering incentives is a good strategy to encourage your team members to offer upgrades.

Time for More Efficient Booking

Booking software designed for spas is an indispensable tool. Nothing pleases a spa owner or manager more than a full appointment book!

Software alone isn’t enough. Team members must know how to use the software to maximize time. There must be policies and training that covers efficient, effective booking.

Appointments and treatments must be scheduled and performed according to set guidelines so that a guest receives their service and the room is cleaned and prepared in time for the next guest. If that time is too short, turnaround will be rushed. If that time is too long, the team member will have excessive unproductive, non-earning down-time.

Online booking can help fill those empty time slots if the system is well-managed and kept up-to-date so that only a currently available time can be selected by the guest.

Time to Re-Examine Staff Scheduling

Time is money in your spa. Business is profitable (or more profitable) when services are generating revenue and service providers are engaged with guests—not just standing around idle.

Team members must be scheduled for when there are guests booked, not simply scheduled to be there at a set time of day. If the last guest has left, then staff should leave early. All team members share the responsibility of keeping busy.

Once again, team members will benefit by using their own time efficiently: maximizing the amount they earn per hour.

Time to Sell Products!

The home care products you sell in your spa are high-quality products you believe in and want your guests to use.

The service provider should be recommending home care products during the guest’s treatment. Don’t you want your guests to continue benefiting from excellent products once they leave?

When a treatment is finished, make sure the guest is reminded and encouraged to purchase home care products. This can be done by either the service provider or a member of the reception team. Find out if they need to re-buy products they’ve purchased before. Show them new products also.

Don’t forget gift cards! Ask the guest if they would like to purchase a gift for someone’s upcoming birthday or special occasion.

Time to Add it All Up!

So many factors can increase your spa’s revenue per hour: upgrades, add-ons, efficient booking, strategic scheduling, home care product and gift card sales.

And everybody wins. The guest is better taken care of, team members earn more per hour, and the spa is more profitable. Every time.

Contact Robert Cass from Spaformation at www.spaformation.com

or reach out to [email protected]

The post Now’s the Time to be More Profitable appeared first on Spa Canada.

As a spa owner, you have made a commitment to take care of your guests. They take care of you, so you must take care of them with all your skill, compassion, and heart. It should be your goal to ‘make their day’. Their spa visit is something they look forward to, and you have an obligation to fulfill their expectations.

But how do you do that? Aside from the experience and skills you have in delivering treatments, the most important factor is your communication with your guests.

The largest component of communications is words: everything you say, and how you say it. Your spa probably—or hopefully—has a script that must be followed by your staff when interacting with guests, but a script is just the beginning. A script serves as a framework for your guest interaction, and is the first step towards consistency.

Why Your Script is Important

The script is required, but it’s just a starting point. You need to go above and beyond – that’s where the magic happens.

It is important to establish a script that covers necessary, non-negotiable points such as consistent greetings, finding out how the guest heard about the spa, re-booking procedure, confirmation calls, and who the guest is booked with.

All interactions must be done with respect and enthusiasm. Greetings must be welcoming and when a guest leaves, staff must use words conveying appreciation.

Consistent communication by all the staff conveys professionalism and proficiency in all areas. A guest who receives consistent, excellent communication will have confidence that they will receive consistent, excellent spa treatments.

For new staff, a script is particularly important while they gain confidence and experience.

But do you want each person in your spa to say the exact same thing to the guests? I hope not! As long as the key elements are covered, there is room for some customization of the script to suit an individual’s style – and the message will be delivered more naturally. Also, your staff does not need to say the exact same thing each time. If they do, they might sound like a robot by the end of the day.

The Script as a Starting Point

Just as no two guest enter your spa with the same mood, attitude, or personality, no one script can deal with all the variables of dealing with guests.

Your guests may be stressed, demanding, rude or impatient. No matter how they behave, you must communicate to them with courtesy and respect.

So how will you know what to say? Some guests will tell you how they are feeling, some will only give clues. Pay close attention to guests: watch their movements and other physical characteristics like facial expressions. Are they cold? Hot? Uncomfortable? Listen closely to what they say to try and determine their state of mind: are they relaxed, stressed, rushed, sad, or tired?

Ask open-ended questions to learn about their needs. Don’t ask not yes/no questions. Those types of questions tell you very little. Get to know the guest and let them talk. Put your mood and feelings aside and remember this is the guest’s experience. Communicate with them in a genuine, personal way and ultimately you’ll develop long-term rapport.

Developing a Secondary Script

While a well-crafted script will cover the essentials and can serve as a solid foundation for customer interaction, a secondary script is one that is needed to deal with variables of your customers’ attitudes and moods.

It can be challenging and frustrating dealing with guests. You can make your staff’s job easier by having a secondary script to help them handle difficult situations. Instead of having your staff struggle to find the right words, give them the tools they need by practicing and role-playing difficult situations. There will never be one perfect single word or phrase—just as there will never be two identical situations. By practicing, your staff will be more prepared and confident in their interactions.

Discuss examples of appropriate responses to guests who are going through difficult times. What words convey sympathy or empathy? If a guest is very busy or stressed, what words can be used to help them relax and enjoy their spa experience—to help them ‘escape’ for the duration of their visit at least.

When your guest is given excellent care and attention at all times during their visit—not just during their treatment—their perception of your spa as a whole will be greatly enhanced.

People do Business with People They Trust

Your ability to consistency outperform your competitors by providing a superior experience separates you from them. Your business and job will enjoy long term security when your guests trust you—and every member of your team—to give them an experience they cannot get anywhere else. Easier said than done.

Does Your Staff Need More Training?

Need help getting results in your spa? Contact Spaformation at

www.spaformation.com

or reach out at

[email protected]

facebook.com/spaformation

twitter.com/rob_cass_

youtube.com/user/spaformation

linkedin.com/in/robert-cass-97073b3

www.instagram.com/rob_cass

The post Taking the Customer Service Script to the Next Level appeared first on Spa Canada.

There are more spas than ever before and more competition for consumers health & wellness dollars, both of which make it more difficult for a spa to stand out.  Ours is also, of course, a high-touch, personalized industry, which calls for creative tactics to capture attention, make connections and keep people coming back.

Why is repeat business so important? 

Access Development reports 79 percent of customers would take their business to a competitor within a week of experiencing poor customer service.

The estimated cost of customers switching their choice of businesses due to poor service is $1.6 trillion. (1)

Existing customers are 50 percent more likely to try new products and spend 31 percent more than new customers. (2)

From my experience of two decades in spa leadership, here are my three best practices for building customer loyalty:

1. Know your guest. The saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know,” is true. If you don’t know who is walking through the doors of your spa, or, for that matter, who you want to walk through, you won’t attract them.  Your approach to knowing your guests is very different based upon the spa and guest type. At Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, our spa serves three types of guest: residents & members, locals and guests. This is how our team is trained to interact with each guest type:

Residents should be treated like owners. I interact frequently with our residents & members to get to know them personally. Because of our strong relationships with this group, they are vocal. For example, I’ve had them ask for changes to the fitness schedule. They may love a class, but it’s only offered in the early mornings, which doesn’t fit within their work schedule. We value this input and frequently adjust schedules in order to best fit their requests.

We also created “Treat Yourself Tuesday” for residents & members to receive a specific treatment at 30 percent off. However, we found our residents don’t like to do the math. They responded better to the offer when we published the treatment at $109 versus “receive 30 percent off.” This small marketing adjustment helped us to increase resident service sales during slower days of the week.

The biggest impact we’ve had with residents & members is inviting them to be “models” for new treatment trainings. I asked 30 residents if they would be interested in a complimentary treatment in exchange for their feedback on our new service menu. Their feedback was invaluable and, through the law of reciprocity, the number of spa bookings has increased with this group.

If yours is a spa in a hotel, the spa alone cannot build customer loyalty. If a guest has a great spa experience, but a negative experience with their room, F&B, etc., they will not want to come back. There are a lot of resorts & spas from which to choose, so the customer can be very selective. To build loyalty among guests, everything has to exceed the value they paid and be exceptional across all levels.

Locals often use a resort/hotel spa like a day spa, which means you need to monitor your pricing. If you don’t adjust pricing for locals to be closer to day-spa prices in your area, locals will only visit on special occasions. Consider locals-only promotions and special opportunities.

Also, keep in mind: locals are not on vacation. They don’t often have time to enjoy your amenities and, many times, those things lose their value. Instead of promoting your thermal experience or day-long packages to locals, focus on express facials, tech-relief massages, etc. so people come to you for routine maintenance and stress management.

As I mentioned regarding residents & members, we also market to locals to visit on slower days when resort/hotel guests aren’t on-site, which are Monday-Thursday. When the spa is slower, every member of your team has more time to give personalized attention, thus another way to create those repeat, local customers.

2. Signature and seasonal treatments. Research from Virtual Incentives shows more than half of consumers said receiving a personalized incentive would improve consideration of a brand. In a spa setting, signature and seasonal treatments are a smart way to create a personalized incentive.

I wrote about seasonal treatments in the Nov. /Dec. 2016 issue and feel they are such a key part of a spa’s success, I’m including them in this article as well.

When promoting to locals and residents, a signature or seasonal treatment of the month will spark their interest to come in more often. If the treatment can be combined with a discount or incentive, such as a take-home product used in the treatment, those are additional ways to build repeat business.

When creating signature treatments that interest hotel guests, it’s important to create continuity. This familiarity will make guests want to return to your property and they often will share their positive memories of a signature treatment with potential guests.

Also, when thinking about creating signature and seasonal treatments, as I advised in Nov. /Dec., you don’t have to completely reinvent a new treatment. Instead, use the protocol of an existing treatment and change the products used and marketing verbiage.

You may also want to explore creating pre- and post-treatment rituals. These touchpoints can create a special, unique memory for guests that don’t require a lot of training. Examples include a foot washing ritual, guided meditation, post-treatment healthy cocktails and light bites, etc. At Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, we have an expansive Thermal Experience that guests can use for as long as they like when having a treatment or the experience may be purchased stand alone. 

3. Meet people where they are in terms of wellness. No one goes to a spa to be made to feel badly about their lifestyle choices. At The Spa at Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, we don’t dictate a sense of methodology for a well life. Instead, we meet guests where they are and help them go farther.

As spa professionals, we are natural “people pleasers.” That can mean we sometimes can be too strong in giving advice, which can turn off a guest. I suggest you don’t make people feel as if they need a PhD in spa to feel comfortable in your facility! Be approachable and welcoming; when you establish a rapport with the guest, that’s the time to suggest healthier habits and such. Of course, if the guest wants education and coaching from the beginning, use your expertise to guide them in a manner that establishes trust and keeps them coming back.

About the Author – Mindy Terry is the Vice President, Spa & Wellness for Carillon Miami Wellness Resort. Terry has more than two decades in spa & hospitality and has consulted on award-winning projects around the world. Terry has an extensive background in spa menu creation, logistics and management. More on Terry and Carillon Miami Wellness Resort on www.CarillonHotel.com.

Sources:

1. Access Development – http://blog.accessdevelopment.com/customer-loyalty-statistics-2016-edition
2. Nielsen

The post Three Practices to Build a Loyal Following of Customers appeared first on Spa Canada.

I believe that clear communication is the most important piece of the puzzle when it comes to working with people in business. If your communication isn’t clear, you will not get the response you are looking for. I was recently working in a business where emotion was high and intelligence was low mainly because people were not being heard or understood. 

PERSONAL COMMUNICATION & SELLING SKILLS

Communicating is the act of sending a message to someone, having them receive that message accurately and acknowledging that message without confusion. Many times what a person receives is not exactly what the sender intends. In sales this can be catastrophic.  Think of a time when you communicated something that you thought was clear only to find out later that the other person either didn’t ‘get it’ or it was ‘misinterpreted’. How about when you were the receiver? Therefore, the statement ‘clear communication is the response you get’ makes total sense.

It’s well known that good communication is the foundation of any successful relationship, be it professional or personal. It is important to recognize that it is our non-verbal communication – our gestures, eye contact, posture, facial expressions and tone of voice that speak the loudest. 

The famous 55%, 38%, 7% rule is based on a study done in 1967 by Dr. AlbertMehrabian, Professor of Psychology at UCLA.  He stated:

55% of communication is visual (your body language, eye contact, physical behaviours)

38% of communication is your voice (tone, inflection, pitch, speed, etc.)

7% is verbal (your words)

In addition to communication skills there are three main types of learning styles known as VAK (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) that were identified by Dr. Neil Fleming in the late 1980’s

auditory (learn through hearing)

visual (learn through seeing)

kinesthetic (learn through moving and doing)

Most people learn best through a combination of the three types of learning styles, however, everybody is different.

If you are a visual communicator, you learn by reading or seeing pictures. You understand and remember things by sight. You can picture what you are learning in your head, and you learn best by using methods that are primarily visual. You like to see what you are learning.  You remember what has been written down. You like to write down directions and pay better attention to lectures if you watch them. Visual learners will use words like “I see what you are saying or it looks like”.

If you are an auditory communicator, you would rather listen to things being explained than read about them.  You often talk to yourself and move your lips and read out loud. Auditory learners will use words like “I hear what you are saying or it sounds like”.

If you are a kinesthetic communicator you will learn well when you can move your body or hands and may like to draw pictures or doodle. You use your sense of touch when communicating. Kinesthetic learners will use words like “I feel what you are saying”.

Here are 10 tips that you can use to be a positive communicator?

1. Don’t just talk, listen and ask questions
2. If you don’t understand the communication, ask for clarity
3. Make others feel important and truly hear what they have to say
4. Encourage the people that you work with and your customers
5. Make suggestions on how your team can be more powerful together
6. Be open to suggestions and see it as a positive on how you can improve
7. Don’t fear criticism, welcome it knowing it will make you better
8. Celebrate success
9. High five, give a pat on the back or give someone a hug
10. Remember that clear communication is the result you get

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